Blue Ridge Parkway, VA 10/2/17

All photos are © Marshall Faintich

It was another beautiful day here in central Virginia, and I took my usual route along the first 14 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, detouring off onto parallel Route 610 between mm.2 and mm. 4. There weren't a lot of birds along Route 610, but I stopped near to where I saw a tree full of warblers a few days ago. The only warbler I saw there was a Northern Parula, but a Gray-cheeked Thrush got me off to a good start for the day.

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Northern Parula

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Gray-cheeked Thrush

When I got to the cirque near mm. 7.5, there was a lot of commotion. Hound dogs were howling at the bottom of the cirque only a few hundred feet off the parkway, and their owner was calling them repreatedly. They must have treed a bear, and there is an early, tree-day bear hunting season this week. Needless to say, the few birds I did see there were hiding in the trees. I did find a few warblers in a small flock close to the entrance to the Humpback Rocks picnic area. It was dark because of heavy tree canopy, but I was able to identify three warbler species, but the photos aren't very good.

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Black-throated Blue Warbler

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Chestnut-sided Warbler

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Blackpoll Warbler - note the short tail and yellow feet.

I got a partial look at another warbler there, and my best guess is that it was a male Blackpoll Warbler, although its legs and feet are not yellow.

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Blackpoll(?) Warbler

There was another small flock of warblers at Hickory Springs Overlook. It always amazes me as to the color variation in fall Tennessee Warblers.

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Tennessee Warbler

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Black-throated Green Warbler

On my return trip, I stopped at Ravens Roost Overlook when I saw Dark-eyed Juncos, Eastern Towhees, my first of season Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Blue-headed Vireo, and a nice mixed flock of warblers.

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ellow-bellied Sapsucker

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Tennessee Warbler

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Black-throated Green Warbler

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Bay-breasted Warbler

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American Redstart (rear view)

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blackburnian Warbler

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Blue-headed Vireo

I ended the outing with 27 avian species there.


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